Thomas Price joined the GFAR Secretariat in March 2012 from FAO where he led civil society and private sector relations overall and the strategy for engagement with these partners. He came to FAO after two decades resident experience working with rural communities in West and Central Africa to promote and consolidate their access to, ownership and control of local resources. Building from the local level, he contributed to informing and influencing national policies, law and legislation to match the priorities and capacities of farmers, fishers, herders and other groups.

As a social anthropologist, his work has focused on building institutional arrangements, consensus and policies on a range of intimately inter-related topics: dryland forest conservation and use, agroforestry, agrobiodiversity, pasture management, fisheries, sustainable use of wild species, conservation in situ of local varieties and landraces. Thomas’ institutional experience is broad and deep including applied research for development within CIRAD and the Institute for Development Anthropology, and technical programmes and policy development within IUCN, FAO and many development agencies.

As Senior Officer-Agricultural Innovation and Society at the GFAR Secretariat, Thomas Price is in particular addressing the fundamental challenges to ensure the value and relevance of agricultural innovation to women and youth.